Flexible pipe joint



July 4, 1939. l E; HERIYNG FLXI'BLE PIPE JOINT Filed J'a'n. 6, 1938 mw /f Fax MA Vtol fngy Patentedlulylm UNITED s'rA'r-Es 4PATENT OFFICE nuxm; JorN'r l mgegsamngsstgeesssssar Appliction January 6. 1938, No. '183,649'

4 Claims.

My invention relates to ilexible pipe joints of the ball and socket type. The object of my invention is to provide in the construction or make-up of such ilexible joints for the utilization of such pressure as may exist in the fluid passing through the pipe to assist in tightening vthe joint against leakage and at the same time eto provide for the positioning of the ball member of the joint in the bell member between a socket formed in the bell and contacting with the inner portion of the ball and a compressed resilient socket contacting with the outer portion of the ball.

By preference, my improved construction also provides for the formation of a tight joint of compressed resilient packing between the outer surface oi the ball and the wall of a packing chamber formed in the bell member of the joint and of which packing the compressed resilient socket for the outer portion of the ball forms a part.

The construction of my improved pipe joint will be best understood as describedin connection with the drawing forming a partof this specication and the novel features which I desire to claim as my invention will'be carefully pointed out in the claims. Referring now to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through my l improved iiexible pipe joint.

Egure 2 is a longitudinal section through the packing gasket used in the construction of the joint as shown in-Fig. l.

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing details oi' construction of the gasket packing.

Figui-e4, a view of a section of the spring used in the construction of the packing gasket and Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line 5-5 of A is the en d of one of the coupled pipes havling formed on it the bell A1 in which is formed a socket Az to receive the ball end of a coupled pipe and a packing chamber A3 adapted to suring, as shown, bolt holes A'l extending through sit. Bisthcendoiapipeonwhichisformed (ci. zas- 91) a ball B1 which, in the formation of the joint, rests at its outer end in contact with the socket A2 and C is a packing gasket having, as shown,

an approximation to an H shape. /It is formed with two inner legs C1 and C1, the outer one, C1, 5

in the joint, resting on the shoulder A4 and against the wall of the pacldng recess AA3, while the inner one, C1, preferably somewhat curved to conform to -the surface of the ball, rests in contact with the ball. TheseA inner legs of l0 preferentially of material also resilient, and resilience is especially important in the outer legs C1 and C5, and, preferentially, as shown vin detail in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, springs, as indicated at'D', d, are located between-the legs of the pack- 25 ing gasket tending, when the gasket isvnot form- Y ing apart of the joint, to give it the form indicated in Fig. 2, this being particularly of value as insuring that-the legs C1 and C1 of the packing gasket will contact with the wall of the packing recess and with 'the tace of the ball, even when no uid pressure is acting to force these legs apart. The springs D and d are of generally `sim ilar construction, each being formed of a plate foldedon' itself to form alhead. as indi- 35' cated at D1 and d1, from which head extend comb like tongues, as indicated at D1 and d1, and,'by preference, the springs are secured in the packing gasket as shown, the heads D1 and d1 tting in the slot like portions C, C, .where the 4o leg like portions of the gasket extend away from the cross-bar C3 of the gasket and withV the ends of the tongues D1 and d1 fitting-against shoulders C", C", formed at the ends of the gasket- E indicates an annular gland, the innerl legs. edge of which, -indicated at E1, is formed so as to surround, without actually contacting with, the pipe B and ball B1 when the joint is fully assembled, said gland being formed with a wedge like annular extension, indicated at E1, which. when the gland is drawn to its flnal position, as indicated in Fig. 1, exerts a lateral thrust against the leg C4, pressing it against the ball B1, as shown, so as to form a compressed resilient seat. for the ball and, where the gasket packing tension also exerts a lateral thrust against the said leg, compressing it against the wall of the packing chamber. The gasket is. drawn to operative position, as indicated, 'by means of boltsA F extending through bolt holes E3 in the gland the bell A1.

In assembling the Joint -it is most convenient to place the `gasket packing in position surrounding and through the bolt holes A" in the ilange A* of the ball and insert them together into the bell l A1 contacting the ball with the socket lseat Az and, preferentially, contacting Athe end of the gasket leg C2 with the wall A. the annular gland E having vbeen previously slipped over the ball so as to surround the pipe B, is then moved toward the bell so'as to bring its wedge like extension E2 into thespace between the legs C4 and C5, and then the gland is drawn down against the flange A6 by means of the bolts .F with the result that the wedge like extensionof the gland exerts lateralpressure against the legs C4 and-C5, compressing them respectivelyV against the ball and against the wall of the packing chamber and forming a tightjoint.

It will be seen that in the construction indicated that a pressure fluid contained in the couv pled pipes has free access through the channels As to the space between the legs Cl and C2 and will exert pressure tending to move` these legs` outward, the one against the ball and the other against the' wall A:i 'of the. packing chamber, thusproviding for atight sure exists in the pipe line.

It is a teatureot my construction that it does not rely for the tightness ot the joint upon a 'ground ht between the ball'B1 and the lsocket A2 or any other metal part and, therefore, does not require that the ball `and socket should be carefully machined or ground, the compressed resilient socket formed by theleg C4 permitting sumcient longitudinal movement'o! the ball 'with regard to the socket to permiti oi' the necessary nexibiiity or the Joint whiie'ft the same time tending at all times to exert pressure against the ball tokeepitin contact withthesocketA.

joint whenever pres'- y Having now'described my invention, what I claimasnewanddesiretosecurebylletters Patent, is: e

'1. A ilexible j oint of the ball and socket type `comprising a pipe bell having a socket for receiving the ball end of a pipe. ari-annular packing chamber in said bell for surrounding the ball.

when in place and terminating in an annular shoulderA having a diameter less than that of the ball end; a packing member comprising two united, spaced, ilexible, inwardly extending legslocated in the packing chamber and engaging the shoulder at the end of the packing chamber, said packing member 4also having anoutwardly extending'ilexible and resilient legior contacting the outer portion of the ball, an annular gland member surrounding 'the ball but out of contact therewith, said gland having an annular wedge-like ribbed extension for contacting end compressing the outwardly extending leg of the packing member against the outer portion of the ball so as to i'orm a resilient socket for said outer portion, and means for drawing the gland to and holding it in operative compressive relation to the outwardly extending leg of the packing member.

2. Ailexible pipe joint as called for in claim 1, having one or more channels formed through the annularshoulder at the base of the packing chamber to permit inilow of iluidirom the pipe in which the bell and socket is formed to the space between the two .inner legs o! the 3. A flexible pipe Joint as called for in claim `1,

in which the packing member is formed with a second outwardly extending leg for contactincluding a spring member positioned between the inwardly extending leg members of the packing member vfor spreading the legs apart to insure contact oi the legs with said ball and packing chamber wall.

EDWARD HERING. 

